Method for heating or cooling fluid medium

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to heating engineering. The inventive method for heating or cooling fluid medium consists in supplying a cooled or heated fluid medium in a through channel and in subsequently heating or cooling said fluid medium therein at least in two stages. Said through channel is divided into heating and cooling stages having the same length. The temperature of each stage increases in the case of heating and reduces in the case of cooling stepwisely and directly proportionally in a direction away from the thirst stage to the next stage. The heated or cooled water is supplied to the through channel tangentially at an angle of 45–90° to the generatrix of the internal surface thereof at a point where the fluid medium is introduced. Said invention increases the efficiency of the process of heating or cooling said fluid medium.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the sphere of heating engineering especiallyto various systems operated with heated or cooled fluid or gaseousmediums, e.g. heating systems, ventilation or conditioning units inindustrial and domestic compartments.

BACKGROUND ART

There is an air cooling method performed by an air-conditioning systemin transport cabs and cabins (see Certificate of authorship USSR, No.688351, Sep. 30, 1979). The air-conditioning system consists of athermoelectric generator connected to a DC network, a filter-ventilationsystem, a liquid thermal conduction module, integrated withradiation—convection panels. Radiation surfaces of these panels aredirected to the pilot place, at that the adverse side of the panels hasa thermal contact with thermoelectric batteries. Panels are equippedwith inner air channels and connected to collectors with dischargecocks. This appliance can be operated in aeration, radiation, radiant,radiation-convection cooling or heating modes. During partially heatsinking from hot junctions of the thermal battery, it can also beattempered with air, cooled down lower than a dew-point. That allowsincreasing considerately the air conditioning efficiency and—in theevent of heat air attack to the cabin—to assuring comfortable conditionsdue to complex influence on the air inside the cabin.

However, this method of the air heating and cooling has low powerefficiency and is also remarkable for high power consumption for airconditioning; all these facts restrict wide application ofair-conditioning systems as a universal cabin aeration unit.

Mostly near to the technical essence and achieved results of thisinvention stands a liquid medium heating or cooling method, whichstipulates supply of the heated or cooled liquid medium into a flowingchannel and its further heating or cooling on at least two stages (seePatent RF 2140365, cl. F 25 B 29/00, Oct. 27, 1999).

This liquid medium heating or cooling method allows consideratelyincreasing the heating or resp. cooling efficiency of the liquid mediumdue to a stage-by-stage treatment of the medium. However, this methoddoes not ensure a high efficiency in energy conversion during heating orcooling that occurs because of unavailability of an optimal algorithm ofthe liquid medium heating or cooling processes.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

This invention is developed to get the maximum efficiency of the liquidmedium heating and cooling processes at minimum power consumptionprovided by application of two or more staged cold and heat generators.

This liquid medium heating or cooling method includes such procedures assupply of the cooled or heated liquid medium into a flowing channel andits further heating or cooling on at least two stages. At that theflowing channel is divided into two stages of cooling and heating, bothof the equal length, whereas a temperature of each stage—towards fromthe first to the next one in spurts and in direct proportion—is gettinghigher by heating or respectively is getting lower by cooling. At that,a cooled or a heated liquid medium is pumped into a flowing channeltangentially angle-wise towards generating ray of the flowing channel onthe liquid medium inlet at a temperature of 45° C. to 90° C.

By analyzing different types of the liquid medium cooling or heatingappliance, one can mention, that the way of interaction between theheated and the cooled mediums exerts a big influence on the heattransmission efficiency. The heat exchanging rationally arrangedimproving overall dimensions of the liquid medium heating or coolingappliances as well as reducing considerably the energy necessary for theheating or cooling. Liquid medium heating or cooling stages performedwith an equal length at relatively spurted temperature changes of theheating or cooling stage allows maintaining along the channel arelatively equal temperature difference between a heating or coolingsource and a liquid medium. Within turbulization of the liquid mediumflow—by spinning at the flowing channel inlet—it also let equalize thetemperature of the liquid medium in cross-section by generous andconsistent heating or cooling.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of an apparatus for heating orcooling a fluid; and

FIG. 2 shows a partly sectional view of the apparatus, taken along theline A—A of FIG. 1.

An apparatus for heating or cooling a fluid includes a housing whichdefines a flow channel 1, and a plurality of stages 2 of equal lengthfor cooling down or warming up the fluid (gas or liquid) which flowsinside the flow channel 1 of the housing. The stages 2 can each be madeas a jacket around of the flow channel 1, which jacket 2 together withan outer wall of the flow channel 1 creates a cavity, to which an agent(heating agent or refrigerant) is pumped or they can be performed, forinstance, as thermoelectric batteries mounted on the outer surface ofthe flow channel 1. At that these thermoelectric batteries are connectedto the power network so that they create stages of the equal length, towhich a power is supplied, increasing from one stage to another indirect proportion and in spurts. Respectively, heat carrier (heatingagent or refrigerant, e.g. alcohol, Freon or liquid ammonia) is pumpedinto the jackets; temperature of this heat carrier is increasing ordecreasing stage by stage and in direct proportion. As an example, aheat carrier can be pumped into the jackets or (in the case withthermoelectric batteries) first stage can be tempered to 14° C., thesecond one to 28° C. and the third to 42° C. The heat carrier with thetemperature required can be obtained and supplied by a vapor compressionmachine. Such a machine can be applied to heat a fluid as well as tocool it down. At that, the jackets—in one case—creating cavities aroundthe flow channel 1, act as a condenser, in other case they serve for anevaporator of the vapor compressor machine. The fluid enters the flowchannel 1 tangentially through a jet or a nipple 3 (the last is better).At that the jet or the nipple 3 are mounted at an angle α in relation tothe flow channel 1, generating ray of the flow channel 1 on the liquidmedium inlet at a temperature of 45° C. to 90° C.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

This method of the liquid medium heating or cooling is described below.

The liquid medium (heat or cold) enters the flow channel 1 through a jetor a nipple 3. In the flow channel 1 a successive heating or cooling ofthe liquid medium takes place on two stages 2 at least. Temperature ofeach stage 2 (from the first one to the next) is rising in spurts and indirect proportion in* the case of heating or is falling down in the caseof cooling. As a result, a successive heating or cooling of the liquidmedium takes place in the flow channel 1.

By applying thermoelectric batteries, they are connected to the DCnetwork via a control panel, which allow to change polarity of thevoltage supplied, it also let change operating modes of the batteries:to heat or to cool down the liquid medium in the flow channel 1. It ispossible, if necessary, to perform the heating or cooling stages dividedforward the liquid medium for two heat insulated from each other stagesof heating or cooling. In this case, a different working voltage issupplied, as described above, to the thermoelectric batteries. At thatthe voltage on the batteries of the second and all the next stagesexceeds voltage on the batteries of the first stage in directproportion.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The above mentioned liquid medium heating or cooling method ensures aneffective cooling or heating of gas or liquid, it can be applied inoil-refining industry, e.g., by the heat treatment of the liquefiedgases in oil and petrochemical industries, in order to cool down a slopor for instance a margarine emulsion, as well as in air-conditioningsystems for air heating or cooling.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of heating or cooling a fluid,comprising the steps of: feeding a fluid tangentially into a flowchannel; and subjecting the fluid in at least two stages of same lengthto different temperatures, as the fluid flows through the flow channel,such that the temperature increases abruptly from stage to stage in theevent the fluid is to be heated, or decreases abruptly from stage tostage in the event the fluid is to be cooled.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the fluid enters the flow channel at a temperature of 45° C. to90° C.
 3. Apparatus for heating or cooling a fluid, comprising: ahousing having an interior defining a flow channel for a fluid; a feedmember positioned to supply the fluid tangentially into the flowchannel; an outer jacket placed in concentric surrounding relationshipto the housing, said outer jacket being subdivided into at least twosections of same length to define at least two successive stages tosubject the fluid to two different temperatures as the fluid flowsthrough the flow channel, wherein the temperature increases abruptlyfrom section to section in the event the fluid is to be heated, ordecreases abruptly from stage to stage in the event the fluid is to becooled.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the sections isconstructed for circulation of a heat transfer medium.
 5. The apparatusof claim 3, wherein each of the sections is constructed in the form of athermoelectric battery.